Dear Microsoft, Hotmail Is Down For Me And It's Been More Than An Hour

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Remember me? I’m that guy at TechCrunch who actually defends you and your products, when appropriate, and whenever people start talking that crazy talk about you.

I would like to genuinely thank you for your part in making Web-based email popular with Hotmail – now called Windows Live Hotmail I see – and all. My wife still proudly hands out her @hotmail.com address whenever someone asks her how she can be reached, even though she is known to occasionally use Facebook and Skype. And yes, I still think she rocks.

I was planning to dive into her Hotmail account to answer some messages on her behalf earlier. She asks me that from time to time, and who am I to refuse to help her out once and a while, since I spend so much time on my (Windows 7) PC anyway. Least I could do, right?

Your Hotmail service is currently down for maintenance, I notice, just like some people are experiencing problems with Gmail today. Yes, right when both Facebook and AOL are launching their takes on modern digital messaging no less. It happens, no biggie.

I totally dig that you’re apparently improving your (free) service, even though I know it’s probably a little white lie and you’re actually experiencing problems over there. I accept your apologies for getting in my way, too, and I will try again in a few minutes, no problemo.

But seriously, can you please NOT ASK ME to get in touch with you if Hotmail happens to be down for me longer than an hour (and then actually ask me to wait for 4 hours before voicing my complaints via some online message board)?

How about this: you just keep improving your service and/or fixing the anomalies that prevent you from offering your online service, so I don’t need to get in touch with you in 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours to tell you about it. I’m assuming you know when your service isn’t working, or at least not for everyone, and that it’s in your best interest to get things back up and running as soon as you possibly can, not just because your users beg you to.

Don’t even bother responding to this post immediately, dear Microsoft, and keep doing whatever you’re doing to fix Hotmail instead. I’ve been trying for more than an hour now, and I still can’t connect, so this is just me telling you me and my wife are still waiting.